I posted back on November 10th about several upcoming rocket launches. Here are videos of the missions so far.
** Rocket Lab Electron – 7 smallsats to LEO – Nov.11
https://youtu.be/GM07FZWsi3I
** India’s GSLV Mk.3-D2 launch of GSAT 29 comm-sat to GEO – Nov.14
https://youtu.be/ov6f_jg8JlI
** SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of Es’hail comm-sat to GEO + Landing of first stage booster – Nov.15
https://youtu.be/Ir8OH8rrD_c
As seen from outside the Cape:
SpaceX webcast:
** Russian Soyuz/Progress ISS cargo mission – Nov.16
https://youtu.be/1RL3EOlXe7c
NASA webcast:
** Northrop Grumman Antares/Cygnus ISS cargo mission – Nov.17
https://youtu.be/B1dgCA0AWok
As seen from outside Wallops Island
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The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg AFB set for Monday the 19th has been postponed for a few days to check out some issues with the rocket. A Chinese Long March 3B launch of 2 Beidou navigation satellites is expected on Monday.
NEW YORK, NY – (November 15, 2018) – Zero G Kitchen LLC, a venture co-founded by Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum, announced today the specifications and timing of the first appliance of its planned ‘kitchen in space,’ an open platform for food development in space and the zero gravity environment. The first appliance is an oven designed to freshly prepare small food items, such as rolls, cookies, patties, pockets and other basic foods for longer duration space travel.
The oven is built in partnership with NanoRacks, the leading commercial company operating on the International Space Station. NanoRacks is known for its rapid prototyping, plug-and-play interfaces and managing the NASA payload manifesting and safety processes.
“NanoRacks is committed to developing in-space platforms that are affordable and accessible to anyone with the dream to explore in space,” said Jeffrey Manber, CEO and founder, NanoRacks. “People have to eat when living and working in space, so Zero G Kitchen’s vision for hospitality and food preparation in space fits perfectly into NanoRacks’ long-term goal of populating the solar system with Outposts for everything from tourism and research to factories and more.”
The oven is the first in a series of space-adapted appliances built and operated under the direction of Zero G Kitchen. Following the oven, Zero G Kitchen plans to develop space-adapted versions of common household appliances, such as a refrigerator, blender, slow cooker and more. To achieve its goal of building a kitchen in space, Zero G Kitchen will work with a wide array of food companies, educators, researchers, appliance engineers and aerospace organizations.
“We have an incredibly exciting set of partners we are working with for our kitchen—and we always welcome more,” said Ian Fichtenbaum, co-chef and co-founder, Zero G Kitchen.
Zero G Kitchen expects to build and test the space oven before the end of 2018 with a targeted launch to the ISS in early 2019. Recently, Zero G Kitchen signed the first user of the space oven, and an announcement is expected in early 2019.
“Opening up the frontier of space to all means making it relatable to people’s everyday lives,” said Jordana Fichtenbaum, co-chef and co-founder, Zero G Kitchen. “What could be more relatable than a freshly cooked meal in your own kitchen? We’re not here to develop new technology or to build better ovens or kitchens, but rather to assist researchers, educators and companies to access space facilities and the excitement of space development in a relatable form.”
About Zero G Kitchen LLC (www.zerogk.space) – Based in New York City, Zero G Kitchen was founded with a goal of building a kitchen in space, piece-by-piece, and offering its use to a variety of food researchers, educators and companies with an interest in the future of food and household appliances in space. Funded by its founders, Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum, it is leading the way with its first appliance, a small oven.
Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum
About Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum – Ian and Jordana are a married couple living in New York City and the co-Founders and co-Chefs of Zero G Kitchen. Bound together by their love of space and cooking, they determined to build a kitchen in space to pursue their mutual passions together.
Ian is a space entrepreneur, businessman, investor and director of space companies, including Bradford Space, a European space systems manufacturing group. He has devoted his work to commercializing space and to develop the use of space stations in low earth orbit. Originally from Montreal, Canada, he loves baked goods, especially Montreal bagels and chocolate chip cookies.
Jordana is social media expert and blogger serving restaurants and hotels, including a number of iconic chains. Earlier in her career, she served in the New York City Mayor’s Office working under Mayor Bloomberg, in the Community Affairs Unit. Aside from Zero G Kitchen, she runs a book Instagram account @whatsjordanareading
About NanoRacks (www.nanoracks.com) : NanoRacks LLC, an XO Markets company, is the world’s first commercial space station company with an existing customer base. The company offers low-cost, high-quality solutions to the most pressing needs for satellite deployment, basic and educational research, and more – both at home and in 30 nations worldwide. Since 2009, Texas-based NanoRacks has truly created new markets and ushered in a new era of in space-services, dedicated to making space just another place to do business.
In 2017, the Company announced their long-term plans via the NanoRacks Space Outpost Program. This program is dedicated to the repurposing of the upper stages of launch vehicles in-space and converting these structures into commercial habitats, both humanly and robotically tended, throughout the solar system.
** A video about biological research in microgravity on the ISS with “Tissue Chips”:
A small device that contains human cells in a 3D matrix represents a giant leap in the ability of scientists to test how those cells respond to stresses, drugs and genetic changes. About the size of a thumb drive, the devices are known as tissue chips or organs on chips.
Caleb Henry on Twitter: “The FCC has approved LEO constellation applications from SpaceX (7,518 satellites), Telesat (117 satellites), LeoSat (78 satellites) and Kepler Communications (140 satellites). The constellation race continues.”
USA-Satcom has just released v2.1.0.0 of the XRIT Decoder. Along with enhancements for the XRIT Decoder, a new RSP Streamer X has been released and is operable with the RSP1A, RSP2, and RSPduo – new features include operation with two streams simultaneously (provided that the PC being used has sufficient processing power and an RSPduo or more than one compatible RSP are being used). Also new is the XRIT File manager which allows for improved operation with both LRIT and HRIT files, improved LUT for excellent false color images, user-selectable automated black filling of the white background on full disk visual and false color HRIT images, and country as well as state map overlays.